The first is made with papers from Simple Stories "Handmade Holiday" Collection. I stamped the tree in VersaMark and heat embossed it with white powder. I then colored the inside with Copic markers. The fancy label image is from Very Vintage Labels One that coordinates with the Spellbinders Labels One Nestabilities.

I punched out the inner circle and popped it up over the original label for some added dimension. The sentiment and candy swirls are also from Nutcracker Sweet.

The second tag uses paper from Authentique's "Festive" Collection. If you look closely, the music is the song "Oh Christmas Tree!" Added a sentiment from Nutcracker Sweet for this tag, too. The swirl image goes along with the label from Very Vintage Labels One. To color the tree on this one, I brushed over the embossed area with a sponger and some Distress inks.

Will you make a card or tag with this week's sketch? Upload your creation HERE by next Friday, October 5th. Be sure to include at least 1 Waltzingmouse Stamps image on your project to be eligible to be the randomly-selected winner who will win a WMS stamp set of choice!

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

So I needed some stamp therapy after work, and decided to play along with the Papertrey Ink blog hop that was already in progress. I skim (key word) the inspiration photo and see that the theme is focused on wraps! So I find a little krafty bag and decide to turn it into a cookie wrap for the holidays....

I stamped the bag with a print from Background Basics: Botanicals and then dotted the insides of the flowers with White Opal Liquid Pearls. Cut the top edge of the bag with the Pearl Lace border die from Memory Box.

I cut a coordinating tag with Tag Sale #3 die and then placed a section cut with the Hexagon Coverplate over the top. Filled in the spaces with images from Happy Hexagons and some Authentique "Festive" patterned paper. Added a sentiment from Holiday Button Bits...AND...went to upload my photo....AND

....realized that the hop was to focus on felt or fabric wraps! Not a stitch of fabric or felt on my little holiday project...unless you count the Vintage Cream grosgrain bow. I fully expect to be disqualified, but was glad that I got to enjoy a bit of stamping time while the kids played with the neighbors, enjoying the last bits of warm weather!

Sunday, September 23, 2012

I finally got to play along with another CR84FN Challenge! The colors this week are so much fun...denim, tan, and brown!

I took out my Hexagon Coverplate from Papertrey Ink and paired it with October Afternoon's Sasparilla papers to make a fun quilted background...

The ticking stripe, wood, and denim papers are from the collection. I added a dotted pattern from the Happy Hexagon stamp set stamped in Latte ink. Loved the warm, rustic feeling of the card, and thought this sentiment from Waltzingmouse Stamps Back in the Saddle set would be perfect with it.

And then the wonderful butterfly from Waltzingmouse Stamps Nordic Spring! It is stamped with VersaMark ink and then embossed with white powder. The paper? That awesome Real Wood-Thin Cherry paper from Creative Imaginations! I am down to my last snippets...need to find more!

Be sure to stop by and see all of the inspiring samples from the CR84FN team! Can't wait to see the new color combination next Sunday!

Saturday, September 22, 2012

I made a card with Cicely two weeks ago, and didn't want Gracie to feel jealous. So here she is, Gracie at Halloween!

The color combination came about after a bit of a double dog dare! Did you see Mischief Maker Renee Lynch's awesome Halloween color scheme of navy, orange, and gold HERE for the blog party? We were chatting about it via email, and I told her I wanted to see her create a card with Gracie or Cicely using those colors. Then SHE said that I should shout her new favorite Halloween color scheme from the rooftops! That maybe I should make a card with it or she would be (gasp) disappointed or quite possibly...upset!! So I accepted her challenge. I stamped Gracie in Memento's Nautical Blue ink and colored her with Copics (except the ones I had kind of turned her coat royal blue instead of navy)! The sentiments are also from Gracie at Halloween, and the star cluster is from Midnight Feast.

I am always leery of showing my Copic coloring skills in a close-up shot. Sometimes I feel like I am in kindergarten again, still trying to figure out how to stay in the lines :) I chose background papers from Authentique's "Enchanted" Collection topped with some sparkly gold twine!

Upload your creation with Claire's sketch HERE by next Friday, September 28th. Be sure to include at least one Waltzingmouse Stamps image on your project to be eligible to be the randomly-selected player who will win a WMS stamp set of choice!

Monday, September 17, 2012

Oh honey-colored FALL...so glad you are here! You make the sadness of summer's end much easier to endure :) It's blog party time at Waltzingmouse Stamps and we are celebrating fall and all of it's beautiful colors, patterns, and textures!

This past weekend, we attended a special event hosted by our friends at Stokoe Farms. They celebrated their 200th anniversary and had a wonderful day of fun at their pumpkin and Christmas tree farm...wagon rides, tours, a cocktail party, a mechanical bull to raise money for local charities, and a little chicken barbecue for 550 of us! The tent was HUGE! I even got to ride in a huge combine (driven by my daughters' bus driver...such is small town life!) It was so interesting to hear how the farm began. It is still run by three Stokoe sons and now their children and grandchildren also take part in the farming. They harvest crops such as wheat and corn, have Holstein cows, and then run a pumpkin and Christmas tree farm in the fall and winter. They also used to own the strawberry patch that I used to work at as a young teenager. Jason still works at the tree farm a few weekends in December.

I decided to make a harvest card to celebrate...

I have been quite obsessed with patterned papers lately. So much so, that I forgot how much I love stamping my own backgrounds! I decided to take out some favorites for my card. I stamped a background with Text-It and then added the beautiful border from French Country along the bottom. So lovely in distress inks!

I can't wait to see all of the warm and wonderful creations for this party! Remember, you have until 1:30 PM EST tomorrow (September 18th) to add your creations to the Mr. Linky set on Claire's blog. She will announce special mentions and the random winner of a free WMS stamp set on her blog on Thursday, September 20th!

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Fall seems to be in full swing now, and I am loving the warm colors popping up outside of my window and around the blog world. DT member Jennifer Holmes has created a lovely sketch for the Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge Blog that is just perfect for filling with lovely images!

School is in full swing now, too! Catching the bus, settling in with new teachers and classmates, and nights of homework and after-school activities.

I paper-pieced the apple image from Peace and Plenty with lovely papers from American Crafts. The sentiment from Frame-It fit my theme perfectly!

The ruler paper also came in the patterned pack. Recently, I picked up a mini pack of chalkboard paper from Hobby Lobby. I cut it with my square nesties then added an A+...written with real chalk! So much fun, although I will admit that schools around here don't even have chalkboards anymore. It's all white boards...or even better? Computerized Smart Boards! My kids think that chalk was made for sidewalks. Am I really that old already?

It's your turn to play along with Jennifer's awesome and versatile sketch. Upload your creations HERE by next Friday, September 21st. Be sure to include at least one Waltzingmouse Stamps image on your project to be eligible to be the randomly-selected player who will win a WMS stamp set of choice.

DON'T FORGET....the Waltzingmouse Stamps Blog Party will start on Monday, September 17th. All of the details can be found in THIS post. You will have 24 hours to upload a project to the Mr. Linky set posted on Claire's blog. The theme this month is....FALL! Claire will post some special blog party mentions on September 20th and will also announce the name of the randomly-drawn participant who will win a WMS set of choice just for playing along!

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Yes, it's soooo awesome! I saw flying bats in those mini circles, and chose to make a Halloween card featuring Cicely at Halloween in a fancy, mod color scheme!

I wanted to try a nontraditional color scheme, and ended up reaching for pink, black, and gray! I colored sweet Cicely with Copic markers...after studying past samples from the "coloring book" of our very own Mischief Maker & "Cicely Specialist" Renee Lynch! Stamped multicolored chevron stripes with Off Beat Backgroundsand then cut them with a circle nestie. The sentiment is heat embossed with super fine detail black powder and comes from the Gracie at Halloween stamp set.

The glittery bats are cut with the new Memory Box "Swooping Bats" dies. Cicely's accesories (and hair!) were sparkled up to match with a Sakura Stardust glitter pen.

So much fun to be had with this week's sketch! Upload your creation HERE by next Friday, September 14th. Be sure to include at least one Waltzingmouse Stamps image on your project to be eligible to be the randomly-selected player who will win a WMS stamp set of choice!

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Oh could it be? September 1st is here and that means school starts for us on Tuesday! While July moved at a lovely leisurely pace, it seems that August went by in a lightening flash! I thought I would use Lynn's sketch at the Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge Blog to say "So Long, Summer!"

I chose the Playful Pinwheels set for a last summer "hurrah!" (Yes, I am being overly dramatic! You can be sure that I will use this set again and again throughout the year :))

Used papers from Simple Stories "Happy Day" collection...mini pinwheels included! I stamped and paper-pieced the big pinwheel to match. The yellow dotted paper is from My Mind's Eye, and it is cut with a Grand Labels 11 die from Spellbinders. Couldn't leave out a bit of lovely linen washi tape from wishywashi.com!

Will you say goodbye to summer with this sketch? Or are you going to hop head first into fall, Halloween, and even Christmas?! Whatever you chose, upload your creation HERE by next Friday, September 8th. Be sure to include at least one Waltzingmouse Stamps image on your project to be eligible to be the randomly-selected player who will win a WMS stamp set of choice!

JUST A NOTE:Be sure to watch Claire's blog HERE as she has announced that some new August release stock is starting to come in!